Welding-machine.



J. COOK.

WELDING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNI'. 21, 1911. Y L1 30,258, Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

.3 SHEETS-SHEETl.

J. COOK.

WELDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1911.

L1 80,258 Patented 11131112, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNESSES:

J. COOK.

WELDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1911.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

BSHBETS-SHEET 3.

'emitan 'estaras iemanm ormone.,

JOHN COOK, 0F MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

WELDING-MACHINE.

milanese.,

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented ama e, reis.

Application led June 21, 1911. Serial No. 634,586.

new and useful Improvement in llVelding-v Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to welding machines and it has particular reference to devices of this class which are specially adapted to weld together the component sections of cor- -ugated sheet metal tanks or plates or the ike.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character which shall be simple and durable in construction, effective and reliable in operation and particularly adapted to perform work of a high and uniform grade in a comparatively short time.

ln the commercial manufacture of corrugated transformer tanks, or the like, it has been customary heretofore to weld together the component sections by h'and, and the work produced in this manner has been nonuniform and somewhat inferior in quality and has required an excessive expenditure of time.

1t is my purpose to overcome the ditiiculties heretofore encountered and, accordingly, 1 provide a welding machine embodying a work-supporting means and a suitable heating device, or torch, which is adapted-to be moved longitudinally at a uniform rate in cooperative relationship with the seam to be welded, and to which is also imparted a periodic reciprocatingy transverse movement, whereby any slight irregularities in the seam may be taken care of. By means of this device, a particularly good grade of work and material reductions in time and expense are accomplished.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a device constructed in accordance with my. invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the device shownin Fig. 1; and itl ig. 3 is a view, partially in section and-partially in end elevation, of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in detail, the apparatus shown comprises a bed or slide 1, supported upon suitable standards or pedestals 2, a plurality of movable carriages 3 and 4 mounted on said bed, a lead screw 5 adapted to cause sald carriages to be moved longitudinally on said bed, a heating device 'or torch 6 which is adapted to supply heat to the work, a work-supporting means 7, a cam mechanism 8 for effecting perdiodic reciprocating transverse movements of sald heating device, and a split roller 9 for maintaining the work in position and effecting a certain degree of pressure thereon.

y The. supporting bed 1 comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed channel members or slides 1EL which are suitably supported on the pedestals 2 and. upon which the carriages 3 and 4f are slidably mounted. rlhe pedestals 2 are provided with bracket members 10 upon which rests' a shelf or table 11 which is adapted to support the component corrugated sections 12 of the work to be welded. T he end bracket members 10 are further provided with upwardly projecting guides 13- between which is secured a bar 1i which is adapted to be held in position by means of suitable pins 15 for the purpose of supporting and alining the component sections 12 ina manner to b e hereinafter set forth. rThe several sections 12 are rectangularly corrugated in a manner well known in the art, and they extreme edges thereof are turned upwardly to form lips or anges'l which abut against one another in the manner shown in Fig. 3 to supply an eX- cess of material whereby additional strength is secured in the welded seam.

Between the channel membersor slides 1 is disposed the square threaded lead screw 5 which is suitably mounted, at its ends, in bearings 17, and one end of which is provided with a pulley 18 by means of which it is uniformly rotated in a well known' manner. The carriages 3 and 4 are of like construction and each is provided, at its respective sides, with inwardly projecting inclined members 2O which engage the outer portions of the respective channelmembers or slides 1a to maintain the carriages in proper alinement. Furthermore, each carriage is adapted to be operatively associated with the lead screw 5 by means of a threaded member 21 which normally coperates with said screw throughout a portion of its circumference and is pivotally suspended from a lever 22, one end of the latter being pivotally supported between the upright members 23, and the other end thereof constituting a handle 24 by means of which the threaded member 21 may be disengaged from the lead screw 5. The lever 22 is movable in a vertical plane between guide members 25, and its outer end is provided with a suitable spring- 26 for maintaining the threaded member 21 in coperative engagement with the lead screw 5. The threaded member 21 may be held out of engagement with said lead screw by means of a pin 27 when said pin is inserted in suit-v able openings in the guide members 25 beneath the said member.

Projecting upwardly from4 the back portion of the carriage 3 are two bracket members 28 between which al lever 29 is pivotally supported upon a pin 30, the outer end of. said lever constituting a handle 31 which is adapted to be moved vertically between suitable guide members 32 and. 33, a removable pin 34 being provided for the purpose of securing said lever 29 in position.

.vided with a block 36, the under side of which is grooved longitudinally in such manner that the beveled sides 37 thereof are adapted to engage the edges of the work in two adjacent sections 12 are held in intimate contact and subjected to a slight pressure. Fingers 38 are rigidly secured to the block 36 and constitute other pressure members which project forwardly and downwardly into cooperative engagement with the edges of the adjacent'isections 12, as shown in the drawings. A horizontal member 39 is loosely mounted in thel block 36 and is adapted to be periodically reciprocated by means of a three-throw cam 40 which is engaged by a roller 41, said roller being carried on one end 42 of said horizontal member 39. The cam 40 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 43 which is secured to the lever 29 and comprises three equally spaced portions 44 of slightly different di' ameters in order to effect a slight back and forth movement of the horizontal member 39 in an old and familiar manner. A suitable pulley 45 is associated with said cam by means of which a uniform rotation may be imparted thereto. In orderto maintain the roller 41 in coperative engagement with the cam 40, a spring 46 is provided, one end of which is secured to the horizontal member 39 and the other end to the adjacent finger 38.

The heating device or torch 6 may be of any well known construction, although prefer one of the oXy-acetylene type. Inasmuch as the torch forms no part of my invention, except as it performs a necessary function inl the operation of the machine,

v and, inasmuch as the construction and mode The inner end 35 of the lever 29 is pro-` the manner shown in Fig. 3, whereby the of operation of such devices are well known to those skilled in the art, no description of the same will be given.

The torch 6 is secured to a block 47 which is slidably mounted upon the horizontal member 39 in such manner as to be movable in a line parallel to the axis thereof. A rod 48 projects through a portion of the horizontal member 39 and is threaded into" the block 47, the other end `being provided with a hand-wheel 49 by means of which adjustments of the torch, with respect to the horizontal member 39, may be accomplished in order to bring the torch into alinement with the seam of the work to be welded, as will be readily understood.

The split roller 9 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 50 which is adjustably secured to a bracket member 51. which, in turn, is fastened to the movable carriage 4. The roller 9 is adapted to coperatively engage the sides of the sections 12 Awhich are to be welded together and to thus maintain the component sections against the bar 14, and to effect intimate contact between the adjacent upturned flanges 16.

Assuming the heating device 6 to be performing its intended function, the cam 40 and lead screw 5 to be rotated at -uniform speeds, as hereinbefore set forth, and the various parts of the apparatus to occupy the positions shown, the operation of the device is as follows: It will be noted that the threaded members 21 of the movable' carriages 3 and 4 are in operative engagement with the lead screw 5 and, hence, the carriage 3 and its associated heating device 6 and the carriage 4 with its roller 9, are moved longitudinally at a uniform speed. Simultaneously with the longitudinal movement ofthe heating device 6, said heating device is subjected to a periodic reciprocating transverse movement by means of the cam mechanism 8. Furthermore, the upturned flanges 16 of the component corrugated sections 12 are held in intimate contact with one another and maintained in position upon the bar 14 by means of the split-roller 9 and the projecting lingers 38.'

As the machine is operated in the manner set forth, the heating device 6 is brought into coperative relationship with the upturned flanges 16 of the component sections 12 and said flanges are thus welded or fused together in such manner that a particularly strong and durable seam or joint is produced. Inasmuch as the heating device 6 is rcciprocated transversely a slight amount while' it is being advanced longitudinally, it is evident that any slight variations in the alinement of the seam are taken care of.

When the heating device 6 has been advanced along the work a sufficient distance to allow the beveled edges 37 of the block 36 to engage the sides of the central corrugabefore set Jforth.

Liscate tion, it is evident that the component sections 12 are maintained in intimate contact with Ieach other immediately in advance of and behind the portion to which the heat is applied, so that the best results are obtaineda The process continues at a uniform rate in the manner described until the heating device 6 has traversed the entire length of the sections 12 and said sections have been securely welded together. When the heating device 6 approaches the limit of its travel, the split roller 9 no longer engages the work and the flanges 16 are held in contact with one another by means of the fingers 38 andv the beveled sides 37 of the block 36.

Having welded the adjacent sections 12 throughouttheir entire length, the operation of the machine may be stopped, after which the pins 15 are withdrawn from the upright members 13 and the bar 14 lowered out of engagement with the work. rlhe welded portion of the work may then be moved backward upon theshel-f or table 11 and anew section brought into position, after which the bar 14 is oagain raised under the work and secured in the manner hereinlVhen the machine is brought to rest, care should be taken to raise the heating device 6 by forcing the handle 31 downwardly in order that the continued application of heat tothe bar 14: shall `n ot cause damaging results thereto. .1f it be desired to arrest the longitudinal movement ofthe heating device 6 during the operation,v

it is merely necessary ,to raise the threaded portion 21 of the carriage 3 out of engagement with the lead screw 5 by means of the lever member 22, as will be readily understood.

Having brought the heating devicev or torch 6 to rest, it is further necessary to withdraw it from the Work by means or the lever 29, as already explained, in order that holes shall not be burned in the work or other injury caused by reason. of the continued application or heat. Furthermore, it is also desirable to raise the threaded portion 21 of the movable carriage 4: out of engagement with the lead screw 5 in order that the distance of the split roller 9 in advance or the heating device 6 may be maintained constant. 'C he continuation of the process may, of course, be resumed at any time merely by causing the cooperative engagement o'i the 'threaded members 21 with the lead' sci ew 5 and by lowering the heating device 6 into its normal position. ln case the seam between the upturned Hanges 16 of the 'component sections 12 is found to be substantially straight and free from irregularities, the periodic reciprocating motion of the heating device 6 may be dispensedwith, although it will generally be found desirable.

Although have shown and described a device having specific structural details and arrangement and location of parts, it is evident that various modifications may' be elfected therein without exceeding the spirit and scope of my invention, and 1 desire that only suchlimitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a welding machine, the combination with a work-holding' means, asource of heat, and means for moving said source of heat longitudinally in cooperative relationship with said work, of means movable in synchronism with said source of heat for eii'ecting pressure on said work both in advance otand behind said source.

y 2. 1n a welding machine, the combination with a work-holding means, a device for applying heat to said work, and means for moving said heating device alongsaid work, of means for effecting a transverse -movement of saidheating device.

3,ln a welding machine, the combination with a work-holding means, a device for applying heat to said work, and means for longitudinally moving said heating device along said work,A of means for effecting a reciprocating transverse movement thereof.

4. In a welding machine, the combination with a work-holding means, a device for applying heat to saidA work, and meansffor effecting a uniform longitudinal movement of said heatingdevice in coperative relationship with said work, of means for simultaneously eii'ecting a periodic reciprocating transverse movement thereof, 5. ln a welding machine, the combination with a work-holding means, and a supporting bed, of a heating device mounted on said bed and adapted to be moved uniformly in cooperative relationship with said work, and movable pressure members mounted on said bed and adapted to effect pressure on said work boh immediately in advance of and behind said heating device.

6. 1n a welding machine, the combination with a work-supporting means, a longitudinal bed or slide, anda lead screw, of a carrier -slidably mounted on said bed, means for operatively associating said carrier with said lead screw, a heating device supported on said carrier and adapted to cooperate with said work, means associated with said carrier and located ahead of the heating device 'for effecting pressure on said work in advance of the welding operation, and means for exerting pressure upon the work behind the heating device.

7. ln a weldinfr machine, the combination with a heating evice adapted to be moved uniformly and longitudinally in cooperative relationship with the work, of a camactu- .{ted mechanism for periodically reciprocatl ing said heating device in a transverse direction. 'V

8. ln a welding machine, the combination side-by-side metal with a work-supporting'means, a supporting bed or slide, and a carrier mounted on said bed and adapted to be moved longitudinally, oi' a heating device associated With said carrier and adapted to cooperate With said work, and ine ns also associated with said carrier for m intaining intimate contact of the Work iminediately lin advance of and behind said heating device.

9. In a machine i r Welding the edges of ieets, the combination with a supporting In ans interposed between said sheets and mean for effecting intimate Contact between the edges to be Welded, of a heating device suppor d in cooperative relationship with said edges, and means for moving said heating evice along the same.

10. In a machine f with a heating'devicel, and means for moving the said device ldngitudinally in coperative relationship with said edges, of lontr welding the edges of i l side-by-side metal sheets, the 'combination gitudinally' disposed -Asupporting means .1o-

-tive relationship with said edges, of a longitudinally disposed linterposed supporting bar for the adjacent edges of said corrugated sheets, and a movable roller for coperating with said bar and for pressing said sheets against said bar in advance of said heating device.v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this second day of June 1911.

JOHN cooK. 

